February 16, 2023

Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Name: Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 12 min
Ingredients: 1 cup unsalted butter; 1 cup brown sugar; 3/4 cup granulated sugar; 2 eggs; 1 tbsp vanilla extract; 2 2/3 cups all purpose flour; 1 tsp baking soda; 1/4 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp salt; 2 cups chocolate of choice, chopped into chunks ( combo of semisweet, dark or milk), separated into 1 1/2 cups and 1/2 cup; flaky sea salt for topping

As the years have gone on I have gotten quite particular about chocolate chip cookies. For one, they have to have brown butter. This adds an extra step, sure, but it is so worth it. For two, they have to have two kinds of chocolate. And for three, they HAVE to be topped with flaky sea salt. This is absolutely non negotiable. So it’s about time I bring my absolute perfect cookie to the blog: brown butter chocolate chunk cookies. They have perfectly golden edges, a gooey center, and are topped with just the right amount of flaky sea salt. Because I am nice, they also only need about 30 minutes in the refrigerator. This is key to not only the texture, but also the flavor, so DO NOT skip it. Just stick them in the fridge while your oven preheats. No big deal.

Browning your butter:

The star of the show here is browned butter. I have used this in several of my other recipes, but if you aren’t familiar there are tons of tutorials online. Basically you melt your butter in a pot over low to medium heat and cook it until brown bits appear all over the bottom and it’s golden brown. You will also notice it becomes more fragrant and takes on a sort of a nutty, toasted aroma.

During this process the milk solids separate from the fat and those milk solids are what falls to the bottom and turns brown. This is key to that brown butter flavor so make sure you scrape every last bit out of the pot when you are done. Although you may be tempted to turn the heat up and rush the process, please don’t. Low to medium heat is crucial here so you don’t burn your butter, and also so that you don’t evaporate too much of the liquid. Low and slow. Once you have browned your butter, add it to a mixing bowl and set aside to cool slightly, about ten minutes.

Making brown butter chocolate chunk cookies:

Once your butter has cooled slightly add brown sugar and granulated sugar to the mixing bowl with it. Using either a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or using a hand mixer, mix on medium speed for about two minutes, scraping the bowl down as you go. Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix on medium speed for another minute. In a separate bowl whisk together your dry ingredients: all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Now the next star of the show, the chocolate. I like to use chunks because it creates different shapes and sizes, leaving you with bigger pools of chocolate throughout. You can use any combination of chocolate chips or chunks and any type that you prefer. I like a good mix of dark and milk chocolate, which is what I used in this recipe. When using chunks I also recommend chopping up a bar yourself, not buying chunks in the bag. Chop your chocolate and set aside. We will be using one and a half cups in the dough and then the other half cup we will use to top the cookie dough balls before baking.

Add your dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on the lowest speed for about 30 seconds, until just combined. Add the chopped chocolate or chocolate chips and again mix on the lowest speed just to disperse chocolate evenly, less than 30 seconds. Now place the bowl of cookie dough uncovered in the refrigerator for 30 minutes while you preheat the oven.

Assembly and baking:

Once your oven is preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and your oven rack is in the middle position, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. These cookies are big cookies, an entire ¼ cup of dough to be exact. So we will be baking around four cookies at a time to prevent crowding. Using a ¼ cup measuring cup, measure out the dough and roll into a ball. Next, place onto the cookie sheet and use the palm of your hand to press down slightly into a disk. Then top the disk of dough with a few more chocolate chunks.

Bake about two inches apart in your preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. The center should appear just set and the edges a light golden brown. If you want more crisp edges then you may prefer the cookies baked towards the longer side of baking. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with flaky sea salt fresh from the oven. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes and then remove and place on a wire rack to finish cooling. This recipe makes 12 cookies (maybe 13 if you eat less dough than I did). Enjoy while still warm if that’s your thing.

Find more of my cookie recipes here.